Fighting Food Insecurity on Campus: Inside UW–Madison’s Student Food Pantry

Overview

Attending university comes with a wide range of stressors, including tuition, academic responsibilities, and year‑round housing costs. With so many financial demands, setting aside money for nutritious meals can easily fall by the wayside, making food insecurity an often invisible issue on college campuses.

At the University of Wisconsin–Madison, many students face these same challenges as the cost of living rises and unexpected emergencies arise. Fortunately, there are several campus resources available to support students throughout the school year.

To better understand student needs, how support systems operate, and the misconceptions surrounding food insecurity, we spoke with Chloe Shomo, Distribution Director of the Open Seat Food Pantry, for a closer look at how UW–Madison is working to help its students.

(Volunteers preparing food bags for UW–Madison’s Open Seat Food Pantry)

Behind the Pantry

While food scarcity among students is rarely discussed, it affects many every year. Founded in 2016, the Open Seat Food Pantry is a student‑run organization designed to function as a “free grocery store” for students in need, helping to ease one more source of stress during the academic year.

As Chloe shared, “We're here for students who might need a little bit of extra support throughout the week, because our biggest goal is for students to focus on their success and what really matters to them, and not the source of their next meal.”

The pantry is run by Chloe and a small team of fellow students who coordinate food orders and work directly with students on a day‑to‑day basis, ensuring the space remains accessible and welcoming.

The Open Seat relies heavily on donations and community partnerships. Nearly 90% of its resources come from Second Harvest Food Bank, often at very low cost or free, with additional support from local retailers like Target and community gardens that provide fresh, high‑quality produce.

(Shelves of the Open Seat Food Pantry)

Understanding Student Hunger

The goal of any food pantry is to support its community as effectively as possible. Yet food insecurity is often left out of conversations about college life, even though far more students struggle to find their next meal than many realize.

When discussing the scope of food insecurity on campus, Chloe pointed to a recent survey in which nearly 38% of students reported skipping at least one meal per month due to financial constraints.

“When students are asked to make a decision between rent or tuition or textbooks,” Chloe explained, “unfortunately, a lot of students are forced to skip meals or are unable to afford groceries.”

Chloe described the food pantry as “a band‑aid on a bullet hole,” acknowledging its limitations. “We understand we cannot fix food insecurity on campus,” she said. “But we're here to try to help students who just need that little bit of extra support.”

Because the pantry is student‑run, Chloe and her team place a strong emphasis on creating a welcoming, judgment‑free environment.

“I think one of the ways that we go about this is, you know, just making it a very casual experience,” Chloe shared. “I love to just chat with them if they have questions. Because I also use the pantry myself, and so do a lot of our staff and volunteers.”

While food insecurity has become normalized for many college students, Open Seat continues to play a vital, often unseen, role on campus, serving nearly 1,500 visits each month.

(Students unloading and sorting groceries for campus distribution)

Look to the Future

The pantry currently operates without any full‑time paid staff, relying entirely on student volunteers who dedicate their time to supporting their peers. Looking ahead, Chloe hopes to secure additional help to ensure the pantry can remain accessible year‑round for students in need.

If you want to support the UW–Madison Food Pantry, consider volunteering your time, donating items, or simply spreading the word. Together, we can make sure no student goes hungry.

To learn more about the Open Seat Food Pantry, visit their website here